Lupe Pena de Martinez
Director of Student Support Services, Arkansas Department of Education
BS Education 2005, MA 2012
As an immigrant from a traditional Mexican family and the eldest of six, UA Little Rock was the perfect choice, allowing me to live at home while pursuing my studies. As a Donaghey Scholar, I could focus fully on my education without the burden of financial stress. I first enrolled in 2000, and graduation day brought more than a diploma; it carried a legacy. As a Whitbeck Scholar, I walked the stage knowing that my parents, Martha and Jesús Peña, who had only second- and fifth-grade educations, felt immense pride knowing that their decision to leave behind their language, culture, and family had yielded the better future they had dreamed of for their children.
After beginning my career as an educator, I soon yearned to continue my studies. I returned to UA Little Rock to pursue a Master of Arts in Second Languages (2012). Later, under the guidance of my mentor, I pursued a graduate certificate in Curriculum/Program Administration and Supervision; in 2018, for a third time, graduating from UA Little Rock with this credential and an additional graduate certificate in Building Level Administration.
At UA Little Rock, I did not simply find a place to go to school; I found a caring family. I found individuals I know impacted many lives, as they did mine. I am eternally appreciative and honored to be a UA Little Rock Trojan.
Today, as Director of Student Support Services for the Arkansas Department of Education, I carry those lessons of compassion and opportunity into my work. I strive to collaborate with equally passionate colleagues to build systems to create genuine opportunities for each learner, not just opportunities that will improve individual lives, but also uplift my adoptive state of Arkansas.
